Anxiety Disorders Flashcards
Define: anxiety
-a general state of apprehension or psychological tension
Define: generalized anxiety disorder (GAD)
- a continuous state of anxiety
- marked by feelings of dread, worry, apprehension
- difficulties in concentrating
- signs of motor tension
Generalized anxiety disorder occurs during…
-majority of days during a 6-month period
GAD _____ brought on by physical causes.
-is not
Some GAD sufferers may have a _________ to experience symptoms when in ________ or _________ situations.
- genetic disposition
- unfamiliar
- uncontrollable
In GAD, genes may be involved in causing abnormality in…
- amygdala (acquisition of fear)
- prefrontal cortex (ability to realize when danger’s passed)
GAD sufferers have a mental bias in the way they…
-attend to and process threatening information
What basic situation can call for a diagnosis of PTSD?
-if stress symptoms from a crisis or trauma persist for one month or longer and begin to impair a person’s functioning
Define: posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD)
an anxiety disorder in which a person who has experienced a traumatic or life-threatening event has symptoms such as…
- psychic numbing
- reliving of the trauma
- increased physiological arousal
PTSD symptoms have a _______ component.
-heritable
People diagnosed with PTSD often have a history of…
psychological problems such as…
- anxiety
- impulse aggression
PTSD sufferers are more likely to have ______, anxiety-producing ways of thinking that _______ the traumatic event.
- self-defeating
- precede
In many PTSD sufferers, the _________ is smaller than average.
-hippocampus
Define: panic disorder
an anxiety disorder in which a person experiences…
- recurrent panic attacks
- periods of intense fear
- feelings of impending doom
- physiological symptoms (rapid heart rate, dizziness)
The panic attacks may last…
-a few minutes to several hours
